pigs Scottish pig farms share in the success of Quality Assurance Standards In 1990, Slains Park Farm wasted no time in signing up to Quality Meat Scotland’s (QMS) Pig Assurance Scheme, currently celebrating 30 years, which ensures that pigs produced for the food chain are reared to a stringent set of standards. Located south of Aberdeenshire, Slains Park Farm is a mixed enterprise of pigs, beef, dairy and arable across 5,000-acres. “We have 3000 sows, all outdoors, with the progeny finished across 18 Quality Assured ‘bed and breakfast’ farms, which are located from Fife all the way to Banff,” said Derek Ambrose, Pig Manager at Slains Park. He added: “We sell between 55-60,000 pigs per year, with 90% processed locally at Pilgrim’s Pride Ltd, in Brechin and 10% at Woodhead Brothers in Lancashire. “We joined the scheme in 1990 as soon as it was set up. Not only does it allow you to sell at a premium but, more than that, it’s good to have an independent body come and check our farms. It helps you do the job right
knowing what standards you have to meet and that there will be people who come assess what you’re doing.” Almost 100% of significant pig farming businesses in Scotland are members of the QMS Pig Assurance Scheme and are signed up to the Scottish Pig Health Charter which enables producers
to work collaboratively together with other producers to protect the health status regionally and nationally. Derek believes the real benefits lie in the knowledge sharing and whole chain assurance for the consumer. “The standards, which ensure ‘whole of life’ assurance, helps
with public image of the industry as a whole. We operate in a country where our welfare standards are high, and legislation is strict. We prioritise putting in place measures to protect, monitor and improve pig health and it’s great to be part of the Quality Assurance scheme which provides peace of mind to the consumer.”
Farmgate Prices Remain Firm for Scottish Pig Producers For much of 2020 the volume of pigmeat leaving UK abattoirs has been lower than year earlier levels, a contributory factor in the firmness of farmgate prices, according to the latest market commentary from Quality Meat Scotland (QMS). However, June and July broke this trend with year-onyear increases in production which, in turn, led to farmgate prices softening. 64
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“Latest estimates for UK production show volumes have once again dipped below year earlier levels,” said Stuart Ashworth, Director of Economics Services at QMS. “Despite this slight tightening in supplies, UK prices have continued to drift downwards through August and into September. “Nevertheless, Scottish pig producers find farmgate prices
